Showing posts with label three stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label three stars. Show all posts

Thursday, October 8, 2026

The Phantom of Nantucket Carolyn Keene, narrator: Jorjeana Marie

Nancy, Bess, and George are off on another adventure. Bess has a friend, Jenna, on Nantucket who is about to unveil a new museum exhibit that is going to solve the mystery of a ship that sank over a hundred years ago. But someone seems determined to sink the exhibit before it is opened. First, a banner for the exhibit is painted with the word "Liar" in red. Then, a key piece of the exhibit disappears from the museum. The curator is reluctant to call the police but, upon hearing that Nancy is an amateur detective, agrees to let her work on the case. 
This is somewhat interesting that, in the original series, Nancy had quite a few head injuries. This time it's George who gets bonked. 

Three
stars
Nancy Drew Diaries #7
Followed by The Magician's Secret
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Monday, October 5, 2026

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner

Arleta Starstone may have the last name of a wizard but she is a human. One of the magicless people of Adenashire. So why has she been invited to the Great Adenashire Bakeoff? Well, it's because her neighbor, a pair of orcs that she considers her stand in fathers after her parents died, sent in one of her baked items. Now there's a wood elf at her door and he wants to take her to the championship. There will be adventures along the way and then once she gets there. Arleta is going to have to grow in ways she doesn't expect in ordder to try and win the money prize. But she may end up with even more than that in the friends she makes along the way. 

Three stars
Adenashire #1
This book came out November 13, 2023
Opinions are my own

Monday, September 28, 2026

A Murder, a Marquess, and Miss Mifford & A Body, A Baron, and Miss Mifford by Claudia Stone

A Murder, a Marquess, and Miss Mifford

Both of Emily's older sisters have married well so she's been dragged to Londo to have a series. She... is not very excited about that. To say the least. She isn't exactly outgoing and her mother is akin to Mrs. Bennett. Unfortunately, she threatens to kill a woman (an overly obnoxious woman, to be sure), who then ends up dead. And her rival's finger points straight at her!

Luckily, a nearby marquess, Frederick Chambers, does not believe that she had anything to do with the murder and rushes to her defense.
I'm glad I kept reading the books in this series. The first one wasn't great but the rest are, like I said in the last book's review, like Pringles. You just can't stop reading them. Are they great? Not really. But they're a fast read and easy to get through.

Three stars
Regency Murder & Marriage #3
Followed by A Body, A Baron, and Miss Mifford
This came out October 4, 2021

A Body, A Baron, and Miss Mifford

Eudora was probably the most annoying sister to read about. She's always trying to appear older in order to "catch up" to her sisters. And they've all solved a murder and fallen in love, so now she wants the chance too. To bad the body she's stumbled across seems to be a natural death. Luckily, she's able to flag a man down to go get help. That man just happens to be a baron who falls immediately, irrevocably in love with her. She's not very interested in him until a freak snow storm strands them at her sister's house and an actual murder occurs.

This book was... fine. But Eudora was annoying and the romance was thin. I finished it though and the author set it up for a new set of Miffords to find love

Two and a half stars
Regency Murder & Marriage #4
Follows A Murder, a Marquess, and Miss Mifford
Followed by An Execution, an Earl, and Miss Hughes
This came out  March 2, 2025

Saturday, September 26, 2026

Password to Larkspur Lane by Carolyn Keene, narrator: Danica Reese

An injured carrier pigeon lands in Nancy's yard. Inside the capsule is a mysterious message. She is determined to figure out what the message means. It will lead her to a mysterious manor where a doctor seems to be taking advantage of elderly women, including one who risks quite a bit to get a bracelet smuggled out with Nancy's family doctor.
A lot of coincidences and a fairly improbable escape when Nancy is thrown in a pit at the end of the book but worth re-reading when I'm doing the whole series. 

Three stars
Nancy Drew #10
Followed by The Clue of the Broken Locket
This book came out in 1933

Thursday, September 24, 2026

A Death, A Duke And Miss Mifford & A Victim, A Viscount, And Miss Mifford by Claudia Stone

A Death, A Duke And Miss Mifford

Miss Mary Mifford is now twenty-two and has decided that she is a spinster, on the shelf, and ready to help her three (!) sisters find an acceptable marriage. To the end of being "good" spinster, she is wearing mobcaps, frowning at things that aren't "correct", and doing good works. On the way to one of those good works she sees someone trying to break into Mr. Parsims house. She doesn't particularly like Mr. Parsims but he doesn't deserve to be robbed. So she throws a rock at the man. 
Henry, Duke of Northcott, doesn't expect to be attacked while trying to get in touch with his parson. Of course, he doesn't come to Plumpton often so maybe Miss Mary Mifford can be forgiven for not recognizing him. Besides, she's really vvery lovely. 
At a party held in the Duke's honor, Mr. Parsims goes out of his way to make himself detestable. Not a surprise since he's had at least two other fights that the readers have seen in this story. But Mary is the only person to wish he would be murdered. Only hours before he actually is. Now, both Miss Mifford and the duke have reasons to want to clear her name.
This book started off with a cute conceit. However, I'm not sure if this was just not edited but there were a lot of word choices that were just wrong. I searched to make sure it wasn't some difference between British and American English but it was not.

Two stars
Regency Murder & Marriage #1
Followed by A Victim, A Viscount, And Miss Mifford
This came out December 7, 2020

 A Victim, A Viscount, And Miss Mifford

Jane Mifford is the second of four girls. She had never thought to marry  but is realizing she can’t stay at home with her interfering mother. That would be just too much to ask. And her sister seems happily married to the Duke so it might be worth trying. Little does she expect a man to fall literally at her feet. 
Ivo Bonneville (check spelling) was lost but he thinks he might have just been found. The delightful Miss Mittford is the only thing keeping him happy at the moment. His odious cousin has summoned him to watch the man marry (in his eighty-second year) to a young girl. It seems that Ivo might only be heir to viscountcy for a little while longer. But he knew that might happen, that’s why he made his own fortune. He’s not particularly concerned about the old man dying. But when he does, and it’s murder, Ivo feels tompelled to not only find a wife to secure the bloodline (as good a reason as any to chase Miss Mittford), but to clear his own name as well (not that anyone’s said that the old man died, but everyone assumes it was Ivo.)
This whole series is fast and fluffy. Is it the best series out there? No. Is it like Pringles that you're going to consume them anyway? Indeed. 


Three stars
Regency Murder & Marriage #2
Follows A Death, A Duke And Miss Mifford
This came out December 7, 2020

The Sign of The Twisted Candles by Carolyn Keene, narrator: Danica Reese

What a strange story. Bess and George have an extended family member who owns an inn. None of the family have seen him in awhile so they, along with Nancy, stop in to see how he is doing. Ages ago, he invented a twisted candle that, as it burns, the wax melts toward the bottom so it wastes less wax.
It turns out that it is his one hundredth birthday, but he has been relegated to the inn's tower by the people running his inn. Their foster daughter is the only person to visit him. Except that today, Nancy brazens her way in along with some food. Later, the foster daughter is able to call and ask Nancy to return with her father the next day. The old man makes his will, then dies the next day.

While Nancy is trying to solve the mystery of his hidden treasures, she is also trying to understand the fact that, because one of Bess and George's relative's said she was working against them, her best friends are no longer speaking to her.

Three stars
Nancy Drew #9
This book came out in 1933
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Nancy's Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene, narrator: Jessie Birschbach

Ira Dixon, Nancy's mail carrier, is about to retire. It's his age that has her offering him a ride during a violent storm and then setting him up with a hot beverage. It is her kindness that kicks off the mystery when the last of his mail is stolen from their front porch, including a note for Nancy and a package for her father. This puts his job, and his retirement, at risk.
Ira remembers just enough about the letter that Nancy can back track and find out that it came from a law firm in England. It wasn't actually meant for her. Nancy Drew has inherited a large sum of money and, so far, our Nancy is the only one they've found. But, coincidentally, Nancy Smith Drew is helping with a play at Ned's university. Do the two mysteries link up? Yes, but it's a very thin thread. 

Three stars
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #8
This book came out in 1933
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Monday, September 21, 2026

Caffeinated Calamity by Amanda M. Lee

Stormy is coming to terms with being a witch. She’s also hoping to get back together with her ex from high school but he literally just broke up with someone and wants to wait a week. They’re not very good at waiting. 
Meanwhile there’s a murder. A woman who played euchre with her gradmother’s senior center. Stormy inserts herself into the investigation again. 
Lando seems to recognize what she is and invites her over to dinner with his fiancee’s family in Hemlock Cove (crossover) 
Fantastic turn of phrase, forgot how much I like this author, made me laugh several times, one of which was euchre-related. 

Four stars
Two Broomsticks Gas & Grill Witch #2
Followed by A Little Slice of Death
This book came out

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Helping People Change by Melvin L. Smith, Ellen Van Oosten, Richard Boyatzis

This is an interesting look at how peole can coach others, leading with compassion. They use stories and reading guides to help people become the best coaches that they can be, whether in work or in the rest of their lives. 
There were a LOT of initialisms in this book and quite a few sound very similar if you are listening to the audiobook. Some parts were also repetitive. I couldn't tell if that was to cement learning or whether it was filler to bulk out the book. It was also a little overly optimistic. I don't mind that in a cozy mystery but I refer my nonfiction to be a bit more pragmatic.

Three stars
This book came out August 20, 2019
Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla
Opinions are my own

Saturday, September 12, 2026

The Dark Lord's Guide to Honeymooning (and Other Acts of Tyranny) by Tiffany Hunt

I'm going to say this up front: this book was SO long. I always forget to look at the total number of pages until I am far enough into the book to wonder when the end is going to be. The overall length on this one surprised me. I feel like it could have been tightened up a little bit as the informaiton in some places felt extraneous. Given the number of times this book could have ended, this could have also been split into a book and a novella. 
Kazimir and Arabella are very much still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. And on their honeymoon as well. They are battling their way across the country and almost immediately pick up an old acquaintance (friend?) of Arabella's. And he's not the only person from one or both of their past's that they'll have to confront. Even worse, they can't spend two seconds together to clear up a misunderstanding that goes on for far to long in this book. 

Three stars
Guides to Villainy and Love #2
This book comes out September 8, 2026
ARC kindly provided by Scarlett Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Monday, September 7, 2026

The Clue in the Diary by Carolyn Keene

The book opens with Nancy, Bess, and George leaving a carnival where they met a young child, Honey, and her mother. The are on their way home when they witness a house bursting into flames. While making sure everyone is out of the house, Nancy meets a young man who is at first suspicious looking, but then she realizes is helping people. He introduced himself as Ned Nickerson. 
But that is all within the first part of the book. There is a missing father (Honey's), a man who has been duping inventors (and the owner of the house that burned), and a number of instances where Nancy is near death. 
I vaguely remember reading this as a child and enjoying it, but it is harder to suspend belief as an adult. 

Three stars
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #7
This book came out in 1932
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Thursday, September 3, 2026

Mind Magic Audiobook by James R. Doty

I normally love reading books about scientific discoveries, even if I can't always understand all of it. This book, however, reminded me of some of the healing frauds that were so prevalent in the late 80s/early 90s. I also have to say that the "Manifesting" language also reminded me of some really bad churches. So, most of this book I listened to with great skepticism, even knowing that it came from the mind of a neurosurgeon. I did like how he mentioned that it could be the fact that you are concentrating on a goal that leads to to achieving it - not just manifesting it

Three stars
This book came out May 7 2024
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Monday, August 31, 2026

The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully

Olivia Blunt was a fact finder, but when she learned of Merritt, she knew she wanted to work for the woman. The book opens with her on her way to the job interview. While she thinks she has sunk herself, she ends up with the job. It's not what she thinks. For weeks, she just does more fact finding. Until Hayley Summersworth calls. Her mother's death has been deemed a suicidy but she knows that her mother must have been murdered. Now Olivia on her first case at a luxury resort. But she's staying in the employee dorms, avoiding talking to her future mother-in-law about wedding flowers, and potentially missing her fiance's opening night. 
The mystery was interesting but fell flat at the end. The best part of this story was really the character development. 

Three stars
Merritt & Blunt Mysteries #1
Followed by the Forty-Year Grudge
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus

There's a new set of teens (though the old team came back as well) dealing with a new game. This time, it's truth or dare. Do the dare or a truth that you've had buried will come to the surface. First up - Phoebe, who on top of dealing with ther father's death, is working through the fact that she had sex with her sister's ex. People quickly realize that you should Always Choose the Dare. Until someone dies. 
With the baddies from the first book being cleaned up, there are new people in the mix for that as well. The first book was well done and this book had to follow up after that. So, a bit like Scream 2 to Scream. 

Three stars
One of Us is Lying #2
Followed by One of Us is Back
This book came out January 7, 2020
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

The Charity Shop Detective Agency by Peter Boland, narrator: Zara Ramm

The book starts when Fiona Sharp, one of the volunteers at a local charity shop,  Dogs Need Nice Homes, notices a rival charity shop volunter dropping off a box from the dump pile in front of her shop to Fiona's. While going through the box, she finds a blood-covered knife. This catpults her, as well as the other volunteers, Sue and Daisy, into a promising adventure. After all, all of them have read any number of mystery novels and they can do things the police can't. Like, interfering with police work. 

Three stars
Followed by
This book came out December 13, 2022
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Murder in an Italian Castle by Benedict Brown, narrator: George Blagden

Lord Edgington is leaving the shores of England and taking Christopher with him. First stop, Italy to visit and old acquaintance of the lord. They travel all the way there only to see the man killed in front of them. He was definitely a bit of a rotter, okay, a lot of a rotter which leaves any number of suspects including his three heirs. 
An interesting book for a new series though it suffers a bit from a bit of world re-building (if that's a thing). 

Three stars
Lord Edgington Investigates Abroad #1
This book came out May 18
, 2025
Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla
Opinions are my own

Monday, August 10, 2026

Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah, Amy Melissa Bentley (Narrator)

I heard about this book from The Cozy Mystery Bookclub. They were so enjoying the story that I decided to pick it up before I heard the ending. I'm glad I read it first but I was a little disappointed in who the murderer ended up being, it didn't feel fairly clued. 
There are definitely some beats which don't read quite cozy. I know that it generally means murder happens off-page but there was also a little more "on page" in this romance than you usual see. 

Three stars
Beacon Bakeshop #1
This book came out February 23, 2021
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Monday, July 27, 2026

Murder at First Slice by Valerie Burns

Michael and Madison are getting married. But not until after  Baby and Daisy. Madison has recovered from that and from the hangover left after her bachelorette party when she gets another shock. One of the invited guests is someone that her favorite baker (and Micahel's aunt), Miss Hannah, absolutely hates. And this is one one of her good days from the dementia that is ravaging her mind. 
As they get to know Dorothy Wilson, it soon becomes clear that she is probably one of the family members that should not have been invited. She is not only rude, she manages to piss off almost everyone she meets. So, it's no surprise that she's the one to die in this book. The larger surpise is who is standing over her with a wedding gift that was given to Madison just the day before.
There was a lot crammed into a small number of days in this book which made it somewhat hard to follow but was still a fun book to read. 

Four stars
This book comes out July 28, 2026
Baker Street #5
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Publishing and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Saturday, July 25, 2026

The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories by Agatha Christie with Hugh Fraser (Narrator), Christopher Lee (Narrator)

Witness for the Prosecution
The story on which this story is based was turned into a really good play. Leonard Vole is a suspect in the murder of the elderly Emily French. His solicitor isn't sure that the man will be found innocent, even with the evidence given by Leonard's adoring wife, Romaine. But there is a shocking turn of events when it starts to appear that Romaine might not be so loving after all.

The Red Signal
A talk between friends brings up premonitions of danger. One character brings up the idea of a "red signal" and a "green signal." One warns of danger. Suddenly, Dermott feels that signal rear its head again. But he's among friends. Yes, he loves his friend's wife, but that shouldn't cause danger, no one knows about it and he's certainly not going to act on it.


Fourth Man
Three men sit in a train carriage. One is Canon Parfitt who actually knows one of the other men, Sir George Durand who is a famous lawyer. The third man is Dr. Campbell Clark who is an eminent psychiatrist. But the title is about the fourth man, the one who appears, at first, to be asleep.
They begin discussing the case of Felicie Bault who apparently had more than one personality. They discuss her story, but are surprised when the fourth man actually has the story behind the story.

S.O.S.
Mortimer Cleveland has had two flat tires and considers himself lucky to find himself in the Dinsmead's family's home with their two daughters and son. But there is an odd air in the house. The two girls go upstairs to make up his bed and on the table next to it is written, "SOS."

Wireless
An elderly worman is told not to excite herself. But the new radio her nephew bought for her seems to be channeling her dead husband...

The Mystery of the Blue Jar
A young man hears a woman screaming about murder at the same time every day. Is it a hallucination or could it be something more fantastic?

Sing a Song of Sixpence
When people promise that they'll do anything to help someone, they rarely actually mean it. Which is what Sir Edward Palliser meant when he said it to Magdalen Vaughn ten years ago (when she was, ew, seventeen and he was in his fifties and he was flirting with her.) Now, she's OLD (ew) and he doesn't really want to help but he promised.
Magdalen's aunt was killed and everyone is a suspect. She would like some help.

Mr. Eastwood's Adventure
Mr. Eastwood has writer's block. He has started writing the mystery of the second cucumber but none of his usual writing methods are working. But then he gets a call. It's obviously not for him, but the code word is "cucumber." What a coincidence! Suddenly he's buying a drink set, meeting a gorgeous woman, and very nearly being arrested. But what is actually happening in this story?

Philomel Cottage
Alix Martin has been having dreams that her old friend/crush has killed her husband. So, when he's in the area, she puts him off. But then, she starts to discover that he may not be the man he presented himself as. Newspaper clippings of a man who has killed his wives make her even more concerned. Then comes the twist ending...

Accident
Now retired Inspector Evans is surprised to recognize a woman in a small village. She was acquitted of poison nine years ago. She said her husband was an arsenic eater and accidentally poisoned himself. The jury let her go. But now she's married again and the Inspector is worried that history might repeat herself.

The Second Gong
Is dinner being served late? Why else would the dinner go off late? Or twice, as one character believes. It seems dinner was pushed back for a visitor. And that visitor is Hercule Poirot. So, you know something has happened. 

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Hiding in the Bathroom by Morra Aarons-Mele

I can't quite put a finger on why this book didn't resonate with me more. Maybe because it's more of an introvert's guide to navigating the corporate world (as opposed to the regular world). Maybe the audiobook was not the best way to consume this information. Maybe it was that parts of it felt tone deaf; the author was very lucky in her resources but didn't seem to factor that in to her success. I think a large part is that the title and description make it seem like something it is not. If it were marketed as a book to help introverts network, that might have better set expectations. 

Three stars
This book came out September 26, 2017
Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla
Opinions are my own